Pearce: I was treated like a caretaker

Stuart Pearce believes he was starved of cash and treated like a caretaker manager at Manchester City but does not regret taking charge at the Eastlands club.

Pearce's two-year reign at the City helm was brought to an end by a brief telephone call from chief executive Alistair Mackintosh on Monday.

Pearce told the Manchester Evening News: "The previous manager (Kevin Keegan) had around £50million to spend and if the club is taken over the next manager may have £50million to spend, so in that sense I feel as though I have been a caretaker with no money to spend, getting the books balanced whilst keeping the club in the Premiership. But I do not regret taking the job."

He added: "Losing your job is all part of football management and I knew it would have to happen one day.

"I wasn't taken aback, shocked or angered by the board's decision. I am not naive or stupid.

"I felt we were going in the correct direction but needed some finance to drive the club forward.

"I feel City are not far away from becoming the top six side they want to be and nothing would give me greater pleasure than this time next year to see Richard Dunne climbing the steps at Wembley to lift a major domestic trophy or the side to qualify for Europe."

Pearce came agonisingly close to achieving that aim immediately after succeeding Keegan when an injury-time Robbie Fowler penalty miss against Middlesbrough cost City a place in the UEFA Cup.

Those first few months proved the high point of Pearce's reign and whoever replaces him will have the job of getting the best out of a succession of bad buys, notably misfiring strikers Bernardo Corradi and Georgios Samaras.